Man Utd's Great Wage Purge: Sancho Sails Off for Free, Casemiro Cashes Out!

Alright, lads, grab a pint because Manchester United are finally doing what we've all been screaming for: slashing that bloated wage bill like it's a dodgy kebab after last orders. Under the watchful eye of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS crew, with interim gaffer Michael Carrick steadying the ship, the Red Devils are turning over a new leaf this summer. And it's starting with some proper house-cleaning from the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer glory days – you know, when chequebooks were flying faster than a Solskjaer counter-attack.

First up, the Brazilian midfield monster Casemiro, who's 33 going on 43 after that injury-riddled campaign. The fella's on a eye-watering £350,000 a week, but he's announced he's offski when his contract ticks over this summer. No tears here, mate – time to let the big man trot back to pastures new, probably Saudi or somewhere sunny where he can sip caipirinhas instead of chasing shadows at Old Trafford.

Then there's Harry Maguire, our lovable centre-back brick wall, earning a cool £190,000 per week. His deal's up too, and while United might keep him on if he fancies a pay cut – think 'significant' pay cut, like from champagne to lager – it's no sure thing. Harry's been solid in patches, but in Ratcliffe's brave new world, you're earning your crust or you're out.

But the real jaw-dropper? Jadon Sancho, the £73 million winger flop who's been on more loans than a payday lender. Signed in 2021 on £200,000 a week for five years, the lad's contract expires this summer, and according to reports from The Sun, United are letting him walk for a big fat zero. They've got an option to extend by a year to flog him, but nah, they're waving him goodbye gratis. It's like buying a Ferrari, crashing it, lending it out, and then giving it away for scrap. Peak United under the old regime.

Sancho's bounced from Borussia Dortmund back to his spiritual home on loan, then Chelsea, and now he's at Aston Villa, where he's made 25 appearances this season but only mustered one goal and one assist. Not exactly setting the Villa Park crowd alight, is it? Still, Unai Emery – that tactical wizard – seems half-tempted. In a recent chat, Emery said he's not decided yet, but called Sancho a 'fantastic player' who's improving after a ropey start. 'If he plays his best football, we'll want him,' Emery reckoned, though he admitted other clubs might sniff around the England cap-collector (23 times, fact fans).

This all stems from original reporting by Harry Watkinson at TEAMtalk, who's got the inside track on United's squad shake-up. And it's not just these three; there's whispers of more Solskjaer-era holdovers on the chopping block.

Meanwhile, in the transfer whisper mill, United fancied a cheeky bid for Real Madrid's loanee kid sensation Endrick, the 19-year-old tearing it up at Lyon. Speculation had the Red Devils as favourites with a mega-wage packet, and even Arsenal sniffing. But hold your horses – Graeme Bailey, another TEAMtalk sharp, says Madrid are having none of it. Endrick's their future, no sale.

Oh, and that long-term midfield chase for Khephren Thuram? Dead in the water. Bailey reports Juventus are locking the French powerhouse down to a new deal, keeping him in Turin for years. Gutted? A bit. But with the wage purge underway, United need shrewd buys, not scattergun spends.

So, pub verdict: Ratcliffe's lot are finally acting like grown-ups. Letting Sancho go free stings, but it's better than another year of loans and sulks. Casemiro's exit frees up a fortune, and if Maguire takes a haircut, great. This summer's make-or-break for United – get it right, and Carrick (or whoever's next) could have a squad firing on all cylinders. Get it wrong? Back to the Glazers' circus. Cheers to that, eh? Here's to a leaner, meaner United. Sláinte!